


EPISODE TWO: "Hypothesis"

by gaypetersimmonds



Series: Skam Brighton: Season Two [3]
Category: Original Work, SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Character of Color, Canon Jewish Character, Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Trans Character, Episode 2, F/F, F/M, Gen, also i love women so much it's unreal, bryan almost says a sister slur!, but he doesn't!, he almost says the n slur, hello lgbt community :), i love liz so muchhhhhhh, i'm trans and i WILL talk about it!, implied/referenced eating problems, in chapter one, it's fun, skam season 2, stay safe lads, there's also some light violence, they audition, they sing, women have rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-12-26 21:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18290999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaypetersimmonds/pseuds/gaypetersimmonds
Summary: Liz Tudor is stressed out. Between studying for her GCSEs, her pressuring parents, stealing glances at girls across hallways and her friends never really understanding her, she has a lot on her plate.That's not even to mention everything going on inside her head.Liz just want perfection in everything - her grades, her looks, her life - and she'll get it, whether everyone likes it or not. However, James Cohen seems to like it a bit too much.FIRST CLIP: Deep Breath





	1. CLIP ONE: "Deep Breath"

**SATURDAY, MARCH 30TH, 18:22**

 

The camera pans across an upper middle class neighbourhood, as _“Lieder Ohne Worte, Book 2 Op. 30 No. 7” by Felix Mendelssohn & Péter Nagy_ plays, before settling on LIZ’s house.

 

INT. DINING ROOM

 

The song continues from the radio as LIZ, CHARLES and VICTORIA sit at a fancy dining room table, eating a fancy dinner in an awkward silence.

 

LIZ’s phone vibrates from her lap, under the table, and she quickly turns it on, glancing at it. 

 

RORI’s uploaded a new picture to Instagram - LIZ taps the notification - it’s her and NICK hanging out in his room, weed not so subtly stashed in the corner.

 

LIZ likes it, as VICTORIA loudly clears her throat.

 

VICTORIA  
Are you on your phone?

 

LIZ sighs and turns her phone off, putting it on the table.

 

VICTORIA  
Thank you. Just because your sister’s at her sleepover doesn’t mean that you can’t interact with us.

 

LIZ  
Sorry, Mother.

 

VICTORIA  
It’s like you were saying the other night, Charles, teenagers are addicted to the likes and the praise and the constant connection.

 

LIZ  
I was just on Instagram?

 

CHARLES  
My point exactly! Teenagers spend so much valuable time on their technological devices doing fuck all, when they could be working hard at something important. Did you know, statistically--

 

LIZ  
Do we have to talk about this?

 

VICTORIA glares at her and LIZ sighs.

 

VICTORIA  
[sarcastic] Of course, we didn’t take your important needs of fruitful conversation into account. Shall we discuss the fact that you barged into our important meeting? Because we’ve been skating around that for the past week.

 

LIZ’s phone lights up with a notification - a text from the GIRL SQUAD’s group chat, currently called "brianna is a bastard".

 

LIZ tries to look at it, but CHARLES clears his throat. She ignores the text and looks up.

 

CHARLES  
Elizabeth, I thought we talked about this. If you have a problem with your food, it can wait until we can talk about it calm--

 

LIZ  
But it couldn’t! I didn’t have anything to eat, and I couldn’t go get something because it didn’t fit my schedule!

 

CHARLES  
Breathe.

 

LIZ takes a deep breath, still upset.

 

VICTORIA  
You can’t just do things like that. Especially over something so… trivial. 

 

CHARLES  
Victoria, it isn’t trivial, it’s part of her recover--

 

LIZ  
I don’t need to recover! There’s nothing to recover from! I was fine then, and I’m fine now!

 

VICTORIA  
Have you forgotten the hospital?

 

LIZ groans, rocking back and forth in her seat.

 

VICTORIA  
Stop that, you look like a child.

 

LIZ stops. She then starts to bounce her leg, shaking the table. VICTORIA sighs.

 

VICTORIA  
Elizabeth, we’ve talked about this. Just take a deep breath.

 

LIZ  
Mum, I just have to--

 

VICTORIA  
Elizabeth. Now.

 

LIZ stops and takes a deep breath, putting her hands on her stomach.

 

VICTORIA  
Good girl.

 

CHARLES  
Now, what will we do the next time we start to think about the numbers?

 

LIZ  
Take a break. Mary told me to, after the whole… thing.

 

VICTORIA  
She’s always been so sensible.

 

LIZ nods, and then looks down, avoiding eye contact.

 

CHARLES  
Did you have a nice time last night? At the gallery thing?

 

LIZ  
Yeah, it was fine. The art was really nice.

 

VICTORIA  
[scoffs] GCSE level art. It’s so… unrefined.

 

CHARLES murmurs in agreement as he and VICTORIA continue to eat.

 

LIZ subtly picks up her phone and puts it back in her lap - reading the text.

 

RORI has texted the GIRL SQUAD “Me and Nick are friends now!! He's invited me to hang out with him and James tonight!!” 

 

And then another text “Not that I want to hang out with James.” 

 

And then another “I don’t care about him."

 

And then another “At all.”

 

There are more texts that need to be loaded, but LIZ just rolls her eyes, turns her phone off and picks up her fork, looking down at her food, almost scared of it.

 

She looks up at CHARLES, who’s looking at her with pity, and VICTORIA, who’s looking at her with scorn, and starts to eat.

 

CHARLES  
So, how’s your latest article going?

 

VICTORIA  
Oh, wonderful. I have to do more studies on how being submissive affects men, so…

 

She and CHARLES exchange a look, clearly saying they’re going to have sex.

 

LIZ closes her eyes and takes a genuine deep breath, exhausted.


	2. CLIP TWO: "April Fools', Bitch"

**MONDAY, APRIL 1ST, 09:35**

 

EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD

 

The GIRL SQUAD, all in PE uniforms, run/walk around the field with the other female students, as the male students play football on the field.

 

SANDY and RORI and talking happily, as ESTHER, BRIANNA and LIZ look like they’re about to die.

 

SANDY  
So, how are we gonna get these people to audition?

 

ESTHER  
[panting] Simple. We ask them.

 

BRIANNA  
No, remember what I said?  _ They  _ have to ask  _ us _ .

 

LIZ  
Or we could just put up posters and hope for the best?

 

ESTHER nods at her, as a whistle blows, the boys stopping their game.

 

ESTHER  
Of course we’re doing that, but we need to talk to people. Get cool people interested.

 

BRIANNA  
It’s Grease. No one cool will show up.

 

ESTHER  
It’s a good, fresh, sexy show! People like Grease!

 

RORI  
I like Grease and I'm cool!

SANDY, BRIANNA and LIZ laugh a little, RORI laughing along too, clearly not meaning it as a joke.

 

ESTHER  
See! People will come.

 

LIZ  
But we don’t want to be perceived as sexual objects, yeah?

 

BRIANNA  
We’re not sexual objects, we’re sexual people. There’s a difference.

 

LIZ  
How?

 

BRIANNA  
Well, I wear makeup because it makes me feel good about myself, not so others will think it’s hot.

 

ESTHER  
But you feel good about yourself because other people think you’re hot.

 

There’s a pause.

 

BRIANNA  
I mean... Never thought of it like that.

 

ESTHER  
And you’re just conforming to society’s misogynistic roles that have been packaged into feminist friendly packages. Widespread modern feminism is just stereotypical gender conformism.

 

There’s another pause as LIZ rolls her eyes.

 

RORI  
I don’t know what that means, I just want to look pretty when we do the show.

 

ESTHER  
And you’re valid.

 

They walk past SOPHIE and TARA - TARA with JAKE’s arm around her.

 

SANDY  
Hey!

 

SOPHIE  
[grateful to look away from TARA and JAKE] Hi Sandy! And hi girls!

 

There’s an awkward pause, LIZ starting to inch away from them.

 

ESTHER  
Um, would any of you be interested in--

 

BRIANNA glares at her, shutting her up, as there's another awkward pause.

 

JAKE  
Interested in what?

 

ESTHER  
Uh…

 

BRIANNA  
[sighs] Auditioning for Grease.

 

TARA laughs.

 

TARA  
Is this an April Fools’?

 

The GIRL SQUAD shake their heads.

 

TARA  
Seriously? [pause] Oh, come on. We’re footballers. We don’t really do that.

 

LIZ laughs nervously.

 

LIZ  
This isn’t High School Musical, you could!

 

SOPHIE  
[smiling at SANDY] Yeah! It sounds fun.

 

TARA  
Why the fuck not? Nothing better to do.

 

ESTHER  
Friday at 6, at the Sallis Benney Theatre.

 

JAKE  
Fancy!

 

ESTHER  
[shortly] Thank you.

 

BRIANNA  
We’ll see you there. Let’s go, girls.

 

She walks away, the GIRL SQUAD following her.

 

ESTHER  
See! It worked!

 

BRIANNA  
We’ll see. We’ll work on the posters, yeah? Post about it on Instagram and shit.

 

RORI  
Yeah! I could, I’ve been getting a lot more followers recently, ever since I started doing these fitness tutorials and healthy lifestyle stuff. It’s really fun.

 

The rest of the girls all nods - LIZ looking a lot more worried than the rest of them.

 

BRIANNA  
Could you ask Nick to do it too? Since you’re all friends now.

 

RORI  
Yeah, sure. He’s really popular on there too.

 

ESTHER  
Wow, I wonder why.

 

RORI  
He doesn’t post about selling drugs!

 

There’s a pause.

 

RORI  
Oh shit, he  _ does  _ post about drugs and shit. In, like, a code.

 

SANDY  
I believe the term you're looking for is “slang”.

 

RORI  
[giggling] Yeah, sorry.

 

SANDY  
Speaking of, does anyone want to study for the English test? I’m really going for an A here, so…

 

ESTHER  
I can help! We can make a date of it.

 

SANDY  
Great.

 

LIZ watches them, looking a bit confused and a bit like she wants to say something.

 

She doesn't, and the whistle blows again, the football game resuming. LIZ watches as she walks past, _“Bang Bang” by Green Day_ beginning to play as the scene goes into slow motion.

 

JAKE has the ball and is dribbling down the field. BRYAN tackles the ball away from him and runs up the other side.  JAMES kicks the ball out from under BRYAN, making him fall into the mud as TAI kicks the ball away.

 

The GIRL SQUAD - minus a worried LIZ - laugh at normal speed at a furious BRYAN, as the music quietens.

 

BRYAN  
What the hell, man?!

 

JAMES  
April Fools’, bitch.

 

BRYAN  
[standing up, wiping the mud off] Yeah. Thanks a lot, ni--

 

The music comes back full force as JAMES tackles him to the ground, pinning him down and punching him in the face, the rest of the BOYS running to form a circle around them, chanting "FIGHT" as the rest of the GIRLS running turn to watch.

 

SANDY  
Punch harder!

 

LIZ  
Don’t say that! Jesus, he’s really hurting him!

 

The PE TEACHER runs up and breaks them apart, the music continuing faintly.

 

LIZ  
That was awful… Look, he’s bleeding!

 

SANDY  
He fucking deserves it.

 

LIZ  
That’s cruel.

 

SANDY rolls her eyes and runs on, ESTHER running after her. BRIANNA and RORI walk after them, quietly talking.

 

LIZ sighs and takes a deep breath, running after SANDY and ESTHER, as the song fades out.

 

LIZ  
Wait up! I’m sorry, Sandy!


	3. CLIP THREE: "Why Should Any Of Us Feel Ashamed?"

**WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3RD, 15:47**

 

INT. DRAMA CLASSROOM

 

LIZ and ESTHER are sitting together, lots of papers in front of them, both looking quite stressed out.

 

ESTHER  
So, we’ll have around eight weeks of rehearsal if we have auditions this Friday, ‘cause it’ll take a while to cast and we’ll need time for spring break and shit, but overall, I think we have our timing pretty solid.

 

LIZ  
Good, good. I’ve got the budget covered, so I think we’re pretty much all good.

 

ESTHER  
And I’ll be directing, of course, and I’m also gonna audition - because it’s a big cast, we do need a lot of people, but I’m sure we’ll get enough.

 

LIZ  
Yeah. And I’m on piano?

 

ESTHER  
Sure, that’s cool. But you’ll have to help with backstage stuff as well, and maybe sing ensemble parts, ‘cause it will get really busy, you know what theatre is like.

 

LIZ  
Oh, um, yeah.

 

There’s a short, very awkward pause.

 

ESTHER  
So I guess we’re done.

 

LIZ  
Yeah.

 

There’s another, longer, even more awkward pause.

 

ESTHER  
Could I talk to you about something? I just-- I really have to vent to someone, otherwise I’ll explode.

 

LIZ  
Um, O… kay?

 

ESTHER  
Great, so you know how me and Sandy are dating, right?

 

LIZ nods.

 

ESTHER  
Well, she just… She keeps acting kind of strange.

 

LIZ  
What do you mean "strange"?

 

ESTHER  
Like, whenever I try to kiss her or hold her hand or something in public, she always just pulls away, but she’s fine when we’re alone. I don’t know, I guess it’s still internalised homophobia, but it’s been, like, four months since we go together, shouldn’t she be over it by now?

 

LIZ  
I don’t--

 

ESTHER  
I mean, we live in a really liberal place, why should any of us feel ashamed of our identities? It just doesn’t make sense!

 

LIZ  
There’s still a lot of stuff holding people back, you know? Maybe just confusion and… Yeah…

 

ESTHER  
Not like you would know.

 

LIZ laughs nervously for a few seconds.

 

LIZ  
Um, maybe she just… doesn’t like you? 

 

ESTHER  
No! I mean-- Shit. Does she not like me? Did she tell you that? Fuck, I don’t… I don’t even know, I’ve never had a girlfriend like this before. I lied about the girl from Berlin because I wanted her to think I knew what I was doing, for fuck's sake! And I just… I want to be able to love her without her being uncomfortable, you know?

 

LIZ  
Look, I’m not a relationship counsellor, but… Maybe you should just talk to her?

 

ESTHER  
No! She’ll think I’m being pushy! You know what people say about lesbians, that we’re all about to get married after knowing someone a week and we just want to make everyone like us.

 

There’s a silence as ESTHER looks pointedly at LIZ, who looks unphased by these words. After a few moments, it sinks in.

 

LIZ  
Just… I don’t know. I’ve never had a relationship that’s lasted longer than a month. Maybe you should talk to someone with more experience. Like Brianna.

 

ESTHER rolls her eyes and packs up her papers.

 

ESTHER  
Thanks. I’ll just… I’ll see you tomorrow, Liz, okay? Have a nice evening.

 

LIZ  
You too!

 

ESTHER walks out, _“A Living Human Girl” by The Regrettes_ starting to play.

 

LIZ begins to sort through her own papers, getting them all messed up in her hands and dropping them across the floor.

 

She groans and places them all neatly out on the floor, all organised and lined up, basically replacing the carpet.

 

There’s a lot of them, it's overwhelming. The only spot on the floor that's clear is where she's standing in the centre.

 

She takes out her phone and begins to scroll through Instagram to procrastinate on sorting them.

 

She looks through for a while, passing posts from the GIRL SQUAD and from various piano accounts, and then sees a picture of the artwork she was admiring on Friday, posted to JORDAN’s account with no caption.

 

Her thumb hovers over the like button, but she doesn’t press it, clearly far too anxious to.

 

She stays still for a few moments, nervously scrunching up her face.

 

She sighs and turns her phone off, looking at all of the papers, and then begins to tidy them away into her bag as the camera pans away, the song fading away with it.


	4. CLIP FOUR: "I'm Not A Lesbian"

**THURSDAY, APRIL 4TH, 11:01**

 

INT. ART CLASSROOM, BACA

 

JORDAN is working on a red and orange painting at the back of the room as LIZ walks in, looking more nervous than usual.

 

There’s an awkward pause as LIZ stands there unseen, messing with the straps of her school bag.

 

LIZ clears her throat loudly, and JORDAN looks up, as usual, expressionless.

 

JORDAN  
Are you lost?

 

LIZ  
No, I just-- I was wondering if-- Um, I saw you at the art show. This weekend. It was… It was really cool.

 

JORDAN  
Yeah. Thanks.

 

There’s another awkward pause, neither of them knowing what to say.

 

JORDAN  
What was your favourite piece?

 

LIZ  
Oh, I really like that one that you did, “The Dark I Know Well”, it was really amazing.

 

JORDAN  
Yeah, it was. But I didn’t do it.

 

LIZ  
But it was signed with your initial? J?

 

JORDAN  
I think I know which piece I did.

 

LIZ laughs nervously as there’s a long, awkward pause.

 

LIZ  
Well… I’m sure the art you made was really good as well!

 

JORDAN  
Yeah, thanks.

 

There’s another awkward pause.

 

JORDAN  
Did you want anything else or…?

 

LIZ  
Uh…

 

LIZ is awkwardly frozen as JORDAN stares at her, eventually rolling her eyes.

 

JORDAN  
Look, if you’re here to ask me out--

 

LIZ  
I’m not! I’m not a lesbian!

 

JORDAN  
Chill out, I never said you were. Not that that should offend you.

 

LIZ looks down, ashamed.

 

JORDAN  
But I have a girlfriend anyway. Wren Walker. You've met.

 

LIZ  
Oh. Cool. That’s really sweet, yeah.

 

JORDAN smiles.

 

JORDAN  
Yeah, she is.

 

LIZ  
So you’re…

 

JORDAN  
I’m…?

 

LIZ  
You’re pan?

 

JORDAN  
I'm a lesbian.

 

LIZ  
But... You kissed James? A while ago?

 

JORDAN  
Everybody makes mistakes.

 

There's a brief pause.

 

LIZ  
Isn't Wren trans?

 

JORDAN  
Yeah. She is. Being trans doesn't make her not a girl. Trans is an adjective, not a whole different thing than being a girl. And before you even ask, I’m not going to tell you about her genitals.

 

There’s another awkward pause, LIZ nervously laughing.

 

LIZ  
I’m sorry. I’ll just…

 

She motions at the door.

 

JORDAN  
Yeah.

 

LIZ exits quickly, as JORDAN sigh and goes back to work on her painting.

 

INT. HALLWAY

 

LIZ walks out of the art classroom and down the hallway, but she soon gets blocked by a crowd of girls standing in the middle of the hallway - including RORI, who's standing in the centre of them.

 

RORI  
Auditions are tomorrow at 5, so be sure to come!

 

WREN  
Yeah, Grease is one of my favourite movies! It’s so nostalgic, right?

 

GIRL #1  
I would’ve loved to be alive in the fifties!

 

RORI, the only non-white person in the group, nervously laughs and nods along.

 

RORI  
Yeah, Sandy’s always been a dream role of mine.

 

GIRL #2  
Me too! Although I would love to be Eliza in Hamilton.

 

LIZ furrows her brows at her, clearly confused.

 

RORI  
Yeah. Good for you. So, uh, you’ll all come?

 

They all make noises of agreement and begin to disperse, RORI running up to LIZ.

 

RORI  
Did you see that? I got so many people.

 

LIZ  
Nice, nice…

 

RORI nervously laughs, and beginning to walk back down the hallway with LIZ.

 

RORI  
Hope I don’t have too much competition!

 

LIZ  
You’ll be amazing, Rori. I've heard you sing Hopelessly Devoted a million times, every time, beautiful.

 

RORI smiles as the two turn a corner, RORI pulling out her phone.

 

RORI  
Speaking of beautiful things, have you seen this?

 

LIZ  
Seen what?

 

RORI opens Instagram and shows LIZ a video from an account called “Overture Theatre Company Brighton” - which is incredibly shot and advertising auditions for their production of Be More Chill.

 

GIRL [On Phone]  
Are you a teenager in Brighton? Do you love to act, sing and/or dance? Do you want to be more chill? Then come to the Sallis Benney Theatre from 3 to 5 on Friday for Be More Chill auditions! The chillest musical to ever enter Brighton.

 

The video loops and RORI turns off her phone.

 

RORI  
So those girls aren’t the only competition we have to worry about.

 

LIZ  
Shit. They’re… seriously professional.

 

RORI  
What are we gonna do, Liz?

 

RORI looks to LIZ with wide eyes, as LIZ obviously begins to panic internally.

 

LIZ  
We’re just going to be better than them.

 

RORI  
How?

 

LIZ  
It’ll be easy. We'll do our best. We’re us, right?

 

RORI  
Yeah!

 

RORI smiles, believing it, as LIZ nods along, trying to convince herself, as the camera cuts away.


	5. CLIP FIVE: "I Might Be Bisexual"

**FRIDAY, APRIL 5TH, 17:04**

 

_“Closer” by Tegan and Sara_ plays over opening shots of Brighton, before settling on the Sallis Benney Theatre.

 

INT. STAGE, SALLIS BENNEY THEATRE

 

The GIRL SQUAD sit in the fifth row of the audience, each of them staring up at the stage in amazement.

 

As the song reaches the chorus, it shows a large group of girls (and a few guys in the background) dancing on the stage in sync to the song, looking very professional and very pretty, wearing tight dance clothes.

 

LIZ stares at them, biting her lip, as the camera pans across their skinny thighs, flat stomachs and beautiful faces.

 

They continue to dance as the camera pans across BRIANNA, RORI, ESTHER and SANDY’s faces. They all look very interested in the girls, BRIANNA being the most obvious about it, licking her lips, as SANDY looks down, ashamed.

 

The song and the dancing eventually end and the GIRL SQUAD snap out of their daze as a blonde girl - ELEANOR - jumps off of the stage and walks over to them, BRIANNA already glaring at her.

 

ELEANOR  
Hi! You’re the new theatre group, right? Grease?

 

She's the same girl who did the voice over for the Overture Instagram video. ESTHER nods, smiling tightly at her.

 

ELEANOR  
It’s such a cute first production. Really teenager. 

 

ESTHER’s smile drops as LIZ glares at ELEANOR.

 

ELEANOR  
We were just doing a little thing we’ve been working on, as a group, nothing that big, a little post audition rehearsal. We’ll get out of your hair now, ‘kay?

 

LIZ  
[mimicking her] ‘Kay!

 

ELEANOR smiles fakely as she walks off, the rest of the people on stage following her.

 

A girl wearing baggy clothes, including a hoodie with the hood pulled up, walks slowly with the rest of the group, looking at the GIRL SQUAD.

 

TEENAGER  
[quietly] Sorry about her. She gets really intense about--

 

ELEANOR  
Ali! Here! Now!

 

ALI smiles awkwardly at the girls as she walks back to ELEANOR.

 

ELEANOR  
Good girl.

 

ALI shudders, as the camera pans back to the GIRL SQUAD, who all look either intimidated or confused.

 

RORI  
I sort of don’t want to do this anymore.

 

LIZ  
Too bad. We can do it. We have to do it, right?

 

The girls all nod, BRIANNA, RORI and SANDY being a bit more hesitant.

 

BRIANNA  
Off topic, but... Those girls were really hot, right? It wasn’t just me?

 

ESTHER  
Yeah, they were.

  
  


RORI looks away from the rest of the girls as SANDY bites her lip, looking at the ground. LIZ looks at the stage, deep in thought.

 

BRIANNA  
Did you see that one with the short, pink hair?

 

ESTHER  
Yes! She was such a good dancer!

 

They both laugh, nodding together. LIZ nods slightly, as if she’s slowly accepting something.

 

SANDY looks at ESTHER with jealousy in her eyes. ESTHER stops laughing and there’s an awkward pause.

 

ESTHER  
So now we wait… 

 

There’s a short pause.

 

BRIANNA  
[heavily sarcastic] This is going to be so much fun!

 

We flash forward in time, now the GIRL SQUAD are standing on the stage together, looking out into the audience of about twenty students - including, but not limited to, JORDAN, WREN, SOPHIE, TARA, JAKE, RORY, NICK and JAMES.

 

RORI waves in JAMES and NICK’s direction, NICK being the one to wave back.

 

There’s a long, awkward pause as the girls all look at each other, unsure of who should speak.

 

ESTHER  
Um, welcome! As you know, these are the auditions for Grease. We’re using the version based on the movie, and… You guys don’t care about that, so… We’ll just need a minute of a song and we’ll give you some dialogue to read, as either Sandy or Danny. 

 

There’s another pause.

 

ESTHER  
Great! So, um… We should introduce ourselves, since this is also the first-- Well, not the first but-- It’s a theatre club meeting. I’m Esther.

 

There’s a pause. ESTHER looks at the girls, who all look at her like “Please don’t make me do this”.

 

SANDY  
‘M Sandy.

 

RORI  
Rori.

 

NICK cheers, making RORI giggle.

 

BRIANNA  
Brianna.

 

She does finger guns.

 

LIZ  
Elizabeth. Liz for short.

 

There’s another pause.

 

ESTHER  
Great! So, um, let’s begin! I’ll… I’ll go first, so… Take your seats, girls, and… Yeah.

 

SANDY sits next to SOPHIE, RORI sits next to NICK and JAMES, and BRIANNA sits on her own, occasionally glancing over at RORI.

 

LIZ looks at RORI and JAMES and sighs, going to sit next to them as the auditions begin, ESTHER singing _“Dreamer In Disguise” by Derek Klena_ in the background.

 

RORI and NICK are already deep in muffled conversation as LIZ sits down, immediately filled with regret.

 

JAMES looks awkwardly at RORI and NICK talking, and then turns to LIZ.

 

JAMES  
Hey.

 

LIZ  
Jason. Hi.

 

JAMES chuckles to himself.

 

JAMES  
That’s not my name, you know.

 

LIZ  
I do.

 

JAMES nods.

 

JAMES  
A power move.

 

There’s a short, awkward pause.

 

JAMES  
So, are you auditioning?

 

LIZ  
Why do you care?

 

JAMES  
Just making conversation. Nothing else to do.

 

They both look over at NICK, who is now showing RORI a vape trick subtly, as subtle as one can do a vape trick.

 

LIZ  
Yeah… I’m doing piano. In the band. I might have to sing, but no one really wants that.

 

ESTHER finishes her song and moves onto the dialogue - the opening scene at the beach. 

 

JAMES  
That’s really cool. My parents tried to make me learn piano, but I could never do it. You must be… pretty good.

 

LIZ looks at him condescendingly as he awkwardly laughs.

 

LIZ  
Aren’t you meant to be good at the whole talking thing?

 

JAMES  
What?

 

LIZ  
You know, you’re the charming bad boy with a heart of gold, who can make a girl feel like shit, give her one apology and then have her begging for you again. 

 

JAMES  
Oh. Wow. That’s… That’s very fanfiction.

 

LIZ  
We all have to start writing somewhere.

 

JAMES raises his eyebrows at her as they both laugh a little, LIZ catching herself before she can laugh too much.

 

ESTHER gets off of the stage as BRIANNA gets on, beginning to sing _“The History Of Wrong Guys” by Amy Lennox_ in the background.

 

LIZ  
Why are you here?

 

JAMES  
What do you mean? 

 

LIZ  
At the auditions. It doesn’t really seem to be your scene. Your scene is more… you know, scene.

 

She pulls her hair over one of her eyes in an emo fashion, making JAMES laugh.

 

LIZ  
You know? Myspace?

 

JAMES  
[through laughter] Yeah, thanks for the visuals.

 

LIZ fixes her hair, not laughing, looking quite ashamed of herself.

 

LIZ  
Sorry. I got carried away.

 

JAMES  
It-- It was funny. It’s okay, you don’t have to be sorry.

 

LIZ nods, looking away.

 

LIZ  
Well, Jason, you never answered my question.

 

JAMES  
I like musicals.

 

LIZ laughs.

 

LIZ  
No way.

 

JAMES  
Yeah!

 

LIZ  
Listen, I’m a theatre kid, I know a lot about musicals, I bet you haven’t listened to anything besides Hamilton and Heathers, judging by your JD vibes.

 

JAMES laughs again, as BRIANNA switches to the dialogue.

 

JAMES  
Nice one, but I’m more of a Next to Normal, Bare, Rent, Spring Awakening guy.

 

LIZ  
All of the sad ones, huh?

 

They both laugh, nodding. LIZ stops for a moment, realising something.

 

LIZ  
Hey… Did you do something for the art gallery thing last week?

 

JAMES  
Yeah, why?

 

LIZ  
I just… I think I saw it. It wasn’t completely awful.

 

JAMES  
Wow, high praise.

 

LIZ  
“The Dark I Know Well”, right? Spring Awakening?

 

JAMES nods, looking away a bit sadly.

 

LIZ  
It was… pretty insightful, I guess. Relatable and stuff. And… Yeah. I sort of liked it.

 

JAMES smiles at her.

 

JAMES  
Really? That’s practically a love from you.

 

LIZ  
[laughing] Don’t push your luck.

 

BRIANNA steps off of the stage and JAMES gets up.

 

JAMES  
I’ll see you later.

 

JAMES gets onto the stage, LIZ smiling at him as he does, and he stands there for a moment, taking a deep breath, before beginning to sing.

 

JAMES  
_ Our planet is poison _ __   
_ The oceans, the air _ _   
_ __ Around and beneath and above you

 

LIZ hums the tune to the next line as JAMES awkwardly pauses, unsure of what to do for the duet parts.

 

JAMES __   
_ Uh, I'm trying to tell you I love you _ __   
_ The world is at war _ __   
_ Filled with death and disease _ __   
_ We dance on the edge of destruction _ __   
_ The globe's getting warmer by deadly degrees _ __   
_ And I know it’s a fucked up seduction _ __   
  


LIZ laughs into her hand at the corrected line as RORI looks at her, confused.

 

JAMES looks at LIZ as he sing the next few lines.

__   
JAMES __   
_ This planet is pretty much broken beyond all repair _ __   
_ But one thing is working if you're standing there _ __   
_ Perfect for you _ __   
_ I could be perfect for you _ __   
_ I might be lazy, a loner _ __   
_ A bit of a stoner, it's true _ __   
_ But I might be perfect _ __   
_ I'll make myself perfect _ _   
_ __ Perfect for you

 

ESTHER  
Thank you, that’s enough.

 

JAMES takes a script from ESTHER and begins to do the dialogue in the background, as LIZ snaps out of her daze and pulls out her phone to distract herself.

 

She ignores several texts from her parents as she opens Instagram, ELEANOR’s video for Be More Chill auditions playing silently on the screen.

 

LIZ looks from ELEANOR to JAMES several times, before exiting the video and opening her notes app.

 

She types “Hypothesis: I Might Be Bisexual”.

 

She sighs as she quickly closes the app, looking around herself to make sure nobody has seen her, and nobody has.

 

RORI  
You okay, Liz?

 

LIZ nods, as she looks back at her phone, not turning it on. JAMES sits back beside her, grinning.

 

JAMES  
Do you think I did “not completely awful” or did you “sort of like it”?

 

LIZ turns on her phone, sighs, and gets up.

 

LIZ  
My dad just texted me, family emergency, I have to go.

 

RORI  
What?

 

LIZ  
I’ll text you later, Rori.

 

RORI  
Okay… I’ll send you a video of my audition, yeah?

 

LIZ nods, as she exits the building, the door slamming behind her changing the screen to black as _“You Can’t Say No Forever” by Lacrosse_ begins.

 

_ CUT TO END CREDITS AS THE SONG CONTINUES _

 

_ CUT TO BLACK _

**Author's Note:**

> if yall want to come talk to me about skam/skam remakes/skam brighton or just about anything, my tumblr is @heterophobicjovalencia
> 
> the official playlist for skambr, in case yall want to check out the Tunes i use (you can also find character playlists on my profile): https://open.spotify.com/user/qif62s1bxmvjawczw8igu04sy/playlist/4zub5H4IemHY9UBDPLy39s?si=mrq5BxiaTbqyIv4PZmzfOQ


End file.
